Rugby Ontario and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital’s concussion centre have launched a new collaboration to improve the safety of the game and enhance concussion education across players, parents, coaches, and officials.

Through this collaboration, Holland Bloorview’s concussion centre will provide evidence-based education to the Ontario rugby community province-wide, including 10,000 players, 400 coaches, and 200 officials. This strategy is designed to improve player safety through an integrated program which includes workshops on concussion education and management to drive awareness of the injury and empower athletes to take a prominent role in their health.

“Ensuring player welfare is a major priority, so all participants can be confident that Rugby Ontario is providing the safest possible playing environment,” explained Rugby Ontario Chief Executive Officer Michael Brown. "Establishing partnerships with experts in concussion like Holland Bloorview’s concussion centre is a key part of our strategy and fits in well with Rugby Canada’s Play Smart program.”

Additional areas of collaboration include early care programs and intervention, which includes access to baseline testing measures to provide a pre-injury picture of brain and body performance, post-injury care and education, and resources. Ongoing research and assessment, a comprehensive social media campaign, and community outreach events, round out the collaboration to ensure maximum education across all levels of play.

“A collaborative approach to concussion is exactly what the sport and medical community needs right now,” says Dr. Nick Reed, clinician scientist and co-director at Holland Bloorview’s concussion centre. “Combining expertise means we can co-develop the best outcomes for youth athletes, including education as a key starting point to ensure everyone is on the same page about what a concussion is and what to do if they have one.”

Rugby Ontario is the provincial sports governing body responsible for the organization of rugby in Ontario. Our mission is to establish a stronger identity for rugby in Ontario by promoting the sport’s core values and by fostering a culture of inclusiveness and excellence on and off the field of play.

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital, fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. We pioneer treatments, technologies, therapies and real-world programs that give children with disabilities the tools to participate fully in life. Holland Bloorview’s concussion centre is one of the first in the world dedicated exclusively to pediatric concussion. The centre includes clinicians specifically trained in pediatric brain injury and researchers who are leading experts in the field of youth concussion care, research, and education. It is focused on getting kids back to doing what they need, want and love to do after sustaining a concussion.